


Live As Though You'll Be Swept Away

by TheFunk



Category: NCT (Band), WAYV
Genre: Abandoned Factory, Accidents, Bad Decisions, Bad Pasts, Boys Will Be Boys, Brotherly Love, Cats, Delinquents, Established Relationship, Family, Family Dynamics, Fluff, Found Family, Friends as Family, Gen, Getting to Know Each Other, Graffiti, Homelessness, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Minor Injuries, Mischief, Misunderstandings, Park Jisung & Zhong Chen Le Are Best Friends, Park Jisung Needs a Hug, Platonic Life Partners, Platonic Relationships, Polyamory, Sick Character, Street Rats, Stuffed Toys, Theft, Xiao De Jun | Xiao Jun and Huang Ren Jun are Siblings, Zhong Chen Le Needs a Hug, aged-down characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-17
Updated: 2020-03-17
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:41:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23072620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheFunk/pseuds/TheFunk
Summary: Donghyuck and his friends have gotten used to surviving on the streets, but everything changes when someone tries to pickpocket Lucas.or, the street kids au literally one person asked for
Relationships: Huang Ren Jun/Lee Jeno/Na Jaemin, Wong Kun Hang | Hendery/Xiao De Jun | Xiao Jun
Comments: 14
Kudos: 167
Collections: 99' ft 00' fic fest





	Live As Though You'll Be Swept Away

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt #FT022

Police sirens filled the air and shrieked in Donghyuck’s ears. He panted as he ran. They were getting louder, but he couldn’t see them anymore. He didn’t know if they were gaining on him or if he was losing them, the sounds bouncing off the walls. His feet pounded the concrete as he turned into an alleyway. The alleyway was small and extremely narrow. He ran as fast as his feet could carry him and then screeched to a halt. Dead end.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Donghyuck muttered.

The police sirens were getting closer and his breathing was coming faster. He whirled around, eyes darting across the alleyway. The only large item was a dumpster, but that’s the first place the cops would look for him. He was so fucking screwed.

“Yo! This way!” Someone called.

Donghyuck followed the voice, spotting a tall man leaning down from a fire escape. He grinned. Good old Lucas, always saving his ass. He ran to the fire escape, reached up, and gripped Lucas’s hand. The bottom of the fire escape was up, so Lucas had to pull him through the air until his feet met metal.

Donghyuck climbed the fire escape as fast as he could, trailing closely behind Lucas. Once he got up to the rooftop he started laughing. He was so close to being caught it was stupid. His laughing trailed off as he made eye contact with Jeno. Jeno who was standing on the rooftop waiting for him with his hands on his hips. Shit.

“Hey Jen, what’s up?” Donghyuck said.

“I told you not to mess with that store anymore and what do you do? You mess with it!” Jeno said. His eyebrows were furrowed the way they only got when he was upset.

Lucas grinned and jostled Jeno’s shoulders, “Aw, come on Jeno, it’s not that bad. We got away, didn’t we?”

“Not if they hear your loud asses. Now come one, Kunhang hyung will kill us if Yangyang gets released and we’re not there to get him.”

Jeno turned and started running, and Donghyuck groaned and started to follow, Lucas right behind him. They ran along the rooftop, leaping onto the other as they came to the ledge. It was freeing, running along the rooftops like this. The wind blew through his hair and he felt like he was running on air. He can’t help but giggle as he flies through the air.

The sirens eventually faded away and they slowed down to a walk. Lucas looped an arm around Donghyuck’s shoulders. Lucas, too, was laughing. Jeno though, still had his brows furrowed. Donghyuck sighed. He hated seeing Jeno upset, especially when it was his fault. He liked pushing the boys’ buttons, but this was not funny.

“Aw come on Jeno, I’m sorry, okay?”

Jeno huffed as he spoke, “I know it’s just... with Nana almost getting caught and Yangie getting arrested... I’m just anxious about any of us getting caught.”

Donghyuck wiggled out from Lucas’s grip and wrapped Jeno in a hug, “I’m sorry. I thought everything was empty, I didn’t think anyone was there. I’m sorry.”

Jeno returned the hug, and Donghyuck heard him sigh in his ear. Lucas wrapped himself around them too, and Donghyuck laughed.

“Okay, okay, let’s go, we still have to pick up Yangyang from the station.” Donghyuck said, trying to escape from Lucas’s arms.

Lucas laughed as he struggled, not intent on leaving them anytime soon. Lucas’s arms were warm around him, and it was nice in the air that had turned chilly recently. He would have wanted to stay like that for longer if they didn’t actually need to go and get Yangyang. Jeno started struggling too, eventually breaking away from the hug.

Lucas pouted as they began to climb down from the roof, “You guys never let me cuddle.”

Donghyuck chuckled, “I’m sure Yangyang would love to cuddle when we get home.”

“You think so?” Lucas asked.

Jeno scoffed, “Oh come on, you know how clingy he gets when he gets released. He’s gonna be wrapped around you as soon as he sees us.”

Lucas walks with a skip in his step as they go down the sidewalk towards the police station. Yangyang is the youngest of their little ragtag group, and all of them feel the need to baby him on occasion. He hates it most of the time, but after a night in jail, he always comes home to them in full baby mode. He usually spends the rest of the day cuddled in the arms of Kunhang and Dejun, but whoever picks him up usually gets a bit of baby Yangie as well. Lucas is generally the one to pick up Yangyang, mostly because he loves to feel like a protector, and a recently released Yangyang always feels like he needs to be protected.

They come to a stop in front of the police station and Jeno rocks on his feet. He takes a look at the children's Moomin watch that Renjun had gotten him and clicks his tongue.

"Yangie should be out any minute," Jeno says.

Donghyuck hums, "Do you think he'll be hungry? Should we get lunch after this?"

Jeno fixes him with a look," Do you have money for lunch?"

"You know I never have money for lunch. But you also know that the grandma at the hot pot place next to the PC Bang loves me and has a soft spot for Yangyang because he speaks Chinese."

Lucas poked Donghyuck in the shoulder, "Hey! She likes me too!"

"I didn't feel the need to mention it because everyone likes you Xuxi," Donghyuck said.

Lucas smiled and nodded as if he was pleased with what Donghyuck had said. Donghyuck had learned early on that Yukhei thrived off of positive reinforcement, and that if they ever needed him to do something for them all he needed was some praise and suddenly he was the most helpful person on the planet. Living how they did wasn't really the easiest way to hear positive things about yourself. Most people who saw them thought of them as delinquents, street kids with nothing better to do, and no future ahead of them and sure, the nine of them only had an abandoned warehouse that they called home, but it wasn't so bad.

And sure, they did frequently run around the city and cause mischief, but they weren't the trash or little demons that some woman had called them last week. Hell, Kunhang and Dejun even had jobs! Sure, they were for the night shift for a convenience store, but the kind Uncle didn't care that they hadn't finished high school or that they didn't even go to school, or that they didn't even fill out the address portion of the application. The Uncle paid them well though, and never asked any questions they weren't willing to answer.

With the money they earned, they were able to buy better clothes and food they were even able to buy a small stash of medicine just in case. Jaemin had gotten sick once and he'd just had to power through it on his own, cold sweat soaking through his mattress for days until his fever broke. It was the most scared Donghyuck had been in the two years he had been living like this.

"You guys came!" a voice yelled.

Donghyuck turned to see an excited Yangyang bounding down the steps of the police station. He had bags under his eyes and his hair was messy, but his smile was as radiant as always. Lucas cheered and ran to meet him halfway. He tackled the younger boy in a hug and Yangyang shrieked as Lucas carried him towards Donghyuck and Jeno. Yangyang was barely back on his feet when Jeno and Donghyuck joined the hug. Yangyang wiggled in their arms but they held on tight.

"Of course we came, dummy. Someone had to make sure you knew how to get home," Jeno said.

Yangyang pulled away from them and pouted, “That was one time! Now, I'm hungry, who's getting me food?”

Lucas ruffled Yangyang's hair, "Donghyuckie is gonna get us free hot pot from Grandma Xu."

Yangyang gasped and jumped up and down, "Grandma Xu! Grandma Xu! Grandma Xu!”

Jeno chuckled and ruffled Yangyang's hair "Okay, let's go, let's go. I told Mark hyung we'd be back by 3:00 so we need to go soon if we want to have enough time to eat and get home on time."

They started to walk down the street, Lucas swinging he and Yangyang's intertwined hands. It made Donghyuck's heart swell. Yangyang and Lucas had joined their group at around the same time a year and a half ago. Yangyang had been underweight and extremely shy, covered in bruises. Lucas had been instrumental in getting him to a healthier weight and a louder personality. He was still skinny and too mischievous, but they wouldn't trade that for

anything. Jeno bumped shoulders with Donghyuck as the two Chinese boys stopped in front of the window of a pet shop. The puppies were on display in the window. The little things were jumping and yapping as Lucas and Yangyang tapped melodies against the glass. Donghyuck smiled and walked past them. It wouldn't hurt to look at them for a little while. Kunhang and Dejun wouldn't let them bring any more pets home, saying that three cats were enough for them. Jeno sneezed enough as it was, they didn't need to add anything to that.

"Hey! Give that back!" Lucas shouted.

Donghyuck whirled around to see Lucas towering over a younger-looking boy, who held Lucas's wallet in a white-knuckled grip. The boy stood frozen for a second before he turned and began to sprint away. Lucas chased after the boy and after only a moment of hesitation, the rest of them followed suit. They ran down the sidewalk, feet pounding as they chased after the young boy. Donghyuck breathed heavily as he ran, but he made sure to keep up with the rest of them.

The boy led them down street after street, just steps ahead of Lucas. Lucas had long legs, but the boy was fast. He was always just a step ahead of Lucas’s outstretched arm. They didn’t have all that much money, they couldn’t afford to lose even a single cent. And Donghyuck didn’t even want to think about the scolding they would get when Dejun hyung found out they had been pickpocketed. Donghyuck pushed himself faster. The boy turned into an alley, the grimy kind that housed only stray cats and dumpsters and kept running.

Donghyuck gasped as Lucas lunged forward and tackled the boy to the ground. They skidded to a stop, hands on their knees as they fought to catch their breaths. The boy thrashed below Lucas, but the taller boy was just too strong.

“Let me go, let me go! Please, I need it!” the boy yelled.

Donghyuck almost scoffed. What did this boy need Lucas’s wallet for that his parents couldn’t just buy for him, or he couldn’t just buy for himself? They were the ones who lived on the streets who worked for everything they had. This boy needed to learn that you couldn’t just take things because you wanted them.

Jeno tried to grab the wallet from the boy, but he was thrashing so hard that he couldn’t grab it. Yangyang was pouting beside him, probably upset that they were missing time that could be spent eating lunch, fighting some guy on the streets for their own money.

Yangyang huffed, “Stop fighting or I’ll kick you! Just give us the wallet back.”

The boy finally stopped thrashing and Donghyuck finally got a good look at him. The boy looked incredibly young, his clothes and jet-black hair dirty even from just a glance. His elbows and the tip of his chin were scraped raw and bleeding from where Lucas had tackled him to the concrete. And he was crying. Tears were running down his tiny, young face.

Donghyuck kneeled down and crawled to the boy, “Hey hey hey, don’t cry. We just want our wallet back.”

Donghyuck reached to pat the boy’s head, but the second his fingertips brushed greasy hair, the thrashing started again. Donghyuck leaped back, bumping into Jeno and Yangyang. Lucas looked up at them, panic in his eyes. Donghyuck wished the boy would stop fighting so that Lucas could stop holding him down. It looked like it hurt, and the boy looked so distressed that it made Donghyuck uncomfortable.

There was a sharp clanging noise and an even younger-looking boy appeared from behind one of the dumpsters. He was clutching at his side and his eyes looked hazy. His face was flushed, and his hair was messy as if he had just woken up. He stared at them before he looked down and saw the boy trapped and thrashing beneath Lucas.

The boy raced towards them and Jeno managed to catch him before he could hit Lucas. The boy thrashed in Jeno’s hold.

“Let me go! Let go of hyung, let him go! You’re hurting him let him go!” the younger boy yelled.

The boy under Lucas stopped thrashing, his eyes wild as he looked at the younger boy, “Sungie go back! You shouldn’t be up you need to rest. Don’t watch this!”

The young boy thrashed harder and clawed at Jeno’s skin, who let him go with a gasp and a wince. The little boy rushed towards Lucas and pulled at his arms, but Lucas held firm. But then the boy began to cough. It was a violent, choking cough, the kind that wracked your entire body and turned your insides upside down. The little boy was hunched over, heart and gut-wrenching coughs and sobs leaving him.

“Let me up let me up let me up,” the young boy said.

Lucas fell to the side and the young boy shot up. He wrapped the little boy in a hug, rubbing his back and making shushing noises.

“Shh, it’s okay Sungie, you’re okay, let it out,” the young boy said.

Sungie stopped coughing and gasped, chest heaving as he caught his breath. Donghyuck felt himself breathe a sigh of relief as the horrible choking noises petered off. The little boy wiped at his eyes with grimy sweater paws and Donghyuck’s heart ached. He couldn’t have been more than ten, and the other boy no older than twelve. And neither of them looked clean.

“Oh my god they’re like us,” Yangyang whispered.

Donghyuck nodded and Jeno groaned. The young boy was still rubbing at Sungie’s back, who had moved to sit in his lap. Luckily, he seemed to be breathing easier now. In fact, he seemed to be drifting off to sleep, as if the coughing fit had taken everything out of him.

The young boy looked up at them, “Please, don’t hurt me. Jisung is really sick and he needs medicine and we don’t have any money and—”

“It’s okay, we’re not going to hurt you. You live out here, right?” Jeno asked.

The boy nodded, but he didn’t give any indication as to where. Donghyuck thought that was smart, it wouldn’t do them well to be telling strangers where you camped out at night.

Lucas shifted towards them and the younger boy flinched, “I’m sorry that I hurt you. I just wanted my wallet back, but I hurt you a lot, didn’t I?”

The boy shrugged, “I’ve had worse.”

“I’m Lucas, what’s your name?” Lucas asked.

The boy shifted his eyes between them all before he answered, “I’m Chenle. This is Jisung, he’s just a baby.”

“I know, I can see that. And he’s sick too, right? We can help you if you want,” Yangyang said.

Chenle narrowed his eyes, “How? Why?”

“Because we know what it’s like. We live out here too. And we’ve got some hyungs at our place that would help you until he’s better, and for free,” Donghyuck said.

“Why should I trust you?”

“Because they did the same for me. The hyungs found me and my ge ge and I wasn’t sick like Jisung, but I was really hurt and hungry, and they helped me get all better. And when I got all better, they let me and my ge ge stay with them. We live in a big building, and we each have our own bed, and we always get three meals a day. Please, let us help you,” Yangyang said.

Donghyuck dropped his head. He didn’t want to think about how hurt Yangyang had been, but the image was still burned in his mind. It had taken so long to get him and Lucas healthy again, but it was so worth it.

Yangyang reached out his hand, “Will you let us help you?”

Chenle sighed, “Fine.”

Donghyuck stood, “Do you have anything you need to bring with you?”

“Just a bag, it’s behind the dumpster.”

“Okay, I’ll get it while you figure everything out.”

Donghyuck made his way behind the dumpster and his heart broke at the sight. The two boys seemed to be living in one sleeping bag with a small tarp above it. There was a ratty backpack leaned up against the dumpster. He slung the bag over his shoulder and cringed at how light it was. Two young boys needed so much more than whatever they had in that bag. He was going to leave before he decided that he should take the sleeping bag too. You never knew when you were going to need one. As he picked it up, a large stuffed duck toy fell out of it. Donghyuck picked it up and dusted it off, glad to see that it had managed to stay relatively clean.

Donghyuck knew a comfort item when he saw one. Living the way that they did they were almost necessary to survive. They each had one, Donghyuck’s was a deer plushie his aunt had given him when he was born and hadn’t been without since. When Seoul got cold or the food got scarce, a comfort item was imperative. Jaemin had once lost his corgi plush once and had cried for hours until it had been found. He imagined this one belonged to Jisung, he could picture the little boy holding it tight to his chest and he hacked and coughed. He didn’t want to imagine what would have happened if he had left it here.

He searched the area around the dumpster but didn’t find anything else. The acrid stench of the dumpster had begun to sting at his nose, so he left the little area with the sleeping bag and the stuffed duck held under each arm. He turned the corner and smiled. Lucas was piggybacking Chenle while Jeno carried Jisung on his hip. Chenle gasped when he saw Donghyuck.

“You found Mr. Quacks! Jisung would kill me if we left it. Will you give it to him?” Chenle asked.

“Of course,” Donghyuck said.

When he came face to face with Jisung, he almost winced at how rattled his breathing sounded. He set the doll on his chest and guided his limp hand to the doll’s leg. Even his sickly sleeping state, Jisung gripped tight to the plush. Donghyuck patted him on the head and his heart melted when the little boy nuzzled into his hand.

“Ready to go?” Yangyang asked, taking the sleeping bag from Donghyuck’s arms.

“Yeah. Hey Chenle, how does Chinese food sound?” Donghyuck asked.

Chenle perked up from Lucas’s back, “Chinese food?”

“Yeah, we were on our way to get lunch, I’m sure we can still pick some up real fast on our way,” Donghyuck said.

“Yeah, and Grandma Xu loves me, so she’ll make it extra good for you. We can even ask for special soup that can make Jisung feel a little better. Sound good?” Yangyang asked.

“Yeah, sounds good.”

#

Grandma Xu, had, in fact, given them her special medicinal soup, and she’d given it to them for free. She’d fretted over the dried blood on Chenle’s chin until Jeno had promised her that they were going to fix him right up, and she’d made them promise to let her know when Jisung was feeling better. Donghyuck had taken the food from her with gentle hands, the many dishes immediately making his arms ache. They were just around the corner from their place when Jisung snuffled awake in Jeno’s arms.

Jeno rested his forehead on Jisung’s head, “Go to sleep Jisungie, you’re okay.”

Jisung drifted back into sleep and Jeno breathed what seemed to be a sigh of relief. Chenle gasped as they turned the corner and he saw where they were going. They lived in an abandoned factory. A giant thing that was slightly rusted on the outside but had a firm roof and enclosed walls. Donghyuck chuckled at Chenle’s wide-eyed expression.

"We’re here kiddo,” Donghyuck said.

“Wow,” Chenle said.

Yangyang walked to the front door and knocked in a pattern that only they knew. It took about a minute for the door to swing open. Dejun had a large smile on his face when he opened the door.

“Aigoo my Yangie, welcome back honey,” he pinched Yangyang’s cheeks as he spoke.

Yangyang batted at Dejun’s hands, “Ge wait.”

Dejun’s hands stilled, “What’s wrong sweetie, did something happen?”

Yangyang moved to the side and Donghyuck could tell when Dejun finally spotted the kids. Yangyang was smiling the sort of sheepish smile he would get when he knew he was in trouble but was pretending that he had been innocent all along.

“You could say that.”

Dejun pushed past Yangyang and went to Lucas. Chenle cowered slightly behind Lucas. Dejun smiled, holding his hands out so Chenle could see them.

“Hi there, sweetheart, I’m Dejun. You look like you’ve got some boo boos, would you like some help? What’s your name?” Dejun asked.

Chenle peered out from behind Lucas, “I’m Chenle. That’s Jisung, he’s sick.”

“Yeah? My family and I can help you and Jisung get better, is that okay?” Dejun asked.

Chenle nodded. Dejun smiled and went to Jisung. He rested his hand on the boy’s forehead and tsked.

“Poor baby. Come on boys, let’s get them in. Donghyuck, did you pick up food?” Dejun asked.

Donghyuck held up the large bag of food. Dejun smiled at him and then led them into their home. He could hear Chenle gasp behind him again. He knew what Chenle was seeing. Yangyang and Lucas had acted the same way when they first got there. They lived in a big empty room, crates filled with clothes, and multiple mattresses littered the floor. They had seven mattresses right now, two were empty as Jeno and Jaemin had recently abandoned there’s to join Renjun in his. The two empty mattresses would be perfect for Chenle and Jisung while they got better. Four cats ran throughout the room, Mark chasing them into Kunhang’s waiting arms.

Jaemin and Renjun were cuddling on their mattress when they walked in. They had jumped up to greet them but stopped when they saw the little boy cradled in Jeno’s arms. Renjun touched his hand to Jisung’s hand and hissed.

“He’s burning up,” Renjun said.

“This is Jisung. He’s really sick and we wanted to help him get better. Lucas has Chenle. He’s a little busted up right now, too,” Jeno said.

Kunhang smiled at the boys, “Well, let’s eat some food and then we can start getting you all fixed up.”

Lucas set Chenle down on the mattress and Jaemin tickled Jisung awake. The boy whined at Jaemin smiled sweetly down at him.

“Hello, are you hungry? We got some food and then we’re gonna give you some medicine,” Jaemin said.

Jisung coughed, a loud hacking thing that made him whimper when he was done. Jaemin frowned and took him from Jeno’s arms. He sat on the empty mattress and placed Jisung in his lap. The little boy leaned into him.

“My poor baby, look at you, that cough sounds painful,” Jaemin said.

Jisung nodded and pulled Mr. Quacks closer to his chest. Donghyuck watched them with a smile and began to hand out the food from Grandma Xu. Jaemin thanked him with a smile.

“I’ve only known Jisung for five minutes, but I would die for him,” Jaemin said.

Donghyuck shook his head and set food down in front of Chenle. The boy was watching Jaemin with wary eyes. Donghyuck ruffled his hair.

“Don’t worry about Jaemin, he’s a good guy. I think he just adopted Jisung as his son, and he’ll probably adopt you too,” Donghyuck said.

Chenle smiled as Jisung giggled at something Jaemin said. “He looks nice.”

“He is,” Donghyuck said, “Do you want me to sit and eat with you?”

Chenle looked back and forth between Donghyuck and Jaemin before he nodded. Donghyuck smiled and sat beside him on the mattress. Chenle was rigid beside him but slowly, Chenle rested his body against Donghyuck’s with a sigh. Donghyuck took a bite of his chicken as a warmth filled his body.

#

A week later and the wounds on Chenle’s body had healed. He spent a lot of his time either playing with the cats or being cuddled by Jaemin. Donghyuck was right, Jaemin had adopted the smaller Chinese boy the minute he had the chance. Jeno and Renjun had gone along with him, a little three-parent unit nursing their boys back to health. It reminded him of when Dejun and Kunhang had done the same for Yangyang.

Jisung still had the cough but the fever had broken just three days in. Mark had cheered so loudly that it had woken Lucas up when Jisung’s temperature had tested normally. Chenle had been allowed to lay with Jisung that night, after Kunhang had determined he wasn’t contagious anymore. They had laid wrapped up together so tightly Donghyuck thought that Chenle would break Jisung. Jaemin had sat at the side of their mattress, smoothing down their hair as Renjun sang them to sleep. Jeno had covered them with a blanket and clutched at his heart when they snuggled closer together. Donghyuck had snorted at him, which only managed to catch him an empty water bottle the throat. Yangyang had cackled at him until Kunhang had slapped his shoulder.

They’d eaten more of Grandma Xu’s that night, her medicinal soup doing wonders for the congestion in Jisung’s chest. Chenle had gone with Donghyuck, Mark, and Yangyang to pick it up, and the old woman had pinched his cheeks and checked to see if he was really all healed. She’d put an extra chicken dish in their bag once she had heard the first Chinese word come out of his mouth. It had made Chenle blush and Donghyuck couldn’t help but pinch his cheeks too. Chenle had giggled and demanded Mark give him a piggy-back ride home.

“Hey, Donghyuck hyung, how long have you all lived in the factory?” Chenle had asked.

“Well, we’ve lived in the factory for about a year now, but some of us have been living out here longer than others,” Donghyuck said.

“Well, what about you hyung?”

Donghyuck paused, not sure if he wanted to tell Chenle everything. But the boy was looking at him with such wide, curious eyes that he couldn’t deny him the knowledge. Besides, if they wanted Chenle to trust them, they needed to trust Chenle.

“I’ve lived out here for about three years. Growing up, my family was really poor, so I left to live with some people who I thought could help me out, but it was worse than before. I left them but I couldn’t face my family. I lived out here for about two weeks before Mark hyung found me and took me to the others. We lived by the railroad tracks back then, and Lucas and Yangyang hadn’t been there yet. It was rough but then we found the factory and we made it up all nice. We even got some cats. It’s not so bad, right?” Donghyuck asked.

Chenle smiled, “I love the factory.”

"Yeah?” Yangyang asked.

Chenle nodded, “I love the factory, and I love the cats, and I love you guys.”

He said the last part quietly as if he wasn’t sure he wanted them to hear it as if he wasn’t sure about his words. But they’d heard it, all of them had. Donghyuck could tell by the expressions on their faces. Donghyuck reached out and ruffled Chenle’s hair.

“I know the others would love to hear that when we get back. And we love you too kiddo, you and Jisungie,” Donghyuck said.

Chenle giggled and buried his face into Mark’s neck. They got to the factory then, the other boys greeting them with various hello’s as they walked in. Jaemin had immediately taken Chenle from Mark asking about whether or not he had fun. Donghyuck couldn’t hear his quiet reply, but he could guess what it was from the way that Jaemin had sniffled and pressed kisses to Chenle’s cheeks.

Donghyuck took his food and sat next to Lucas, leaning against his shoulder as he watched the young boy. Jisung was sitting in Jeno’s lap, Mr. Quacks clutched in his arms and Hutong and Bongsik winding around his legs as Renjun measured out a dose of medicine for him. Jisung scrunched his face up as he took the medicine and Renjun cooed at him. Chenle leaned over and patted Jisung on the head.

It felt right, having the boys with them. As if they had been there all along. It was like when Lucas and Yangyang joined them, Lucas’s noise and Yangyang’s mischief had fit right in. Kunhang had said that when Jeno had joined them, his quiet strength had been the sense of calm they needed. When the brothers came, Dejun’s sense of responsibility and Renjun’s snark and sass had been well appreciated by the lonely Kunhang. Mark’s goofy nature and Jaemin’s overwhelming affection had turned the cold streets into a home. Donghyuck liked to think he brought the stunning good looks, but Jaemin had called him the sun once. It was nice to be the sun.

Chenle was a ray of light, protective and funny, while also being able to keep up with the biting yet loving remarks from the others. Jisung while still sick, brought with him an innocence, a loveliness that only a young kid could. He was cuddly and giggly, and the cats loved him, all four of them constantly by his side. Seolie always laid at his feet as he slept, and Lalie had been found curled around his head, unusual for their most distant kitten. Donghyuck wondered what he would be like when he was healthy again.

Jisung’s cough was the only thing that remained, and it didn’t sound nearly as bad. If they kept up with the medicine and keeping him hydrated, it shouldn’t be long at all before he was healthy. Hopefully, soon he could be up and running around with them, the way a young kid should. Donghyuck could imagine it, the giggle finally turning into a full laugh, his legs pumping as they ran around the city. He smiled and pet Seolie’s head. The day would come soon.

#

Jisung was finally better two weeks after his fever broke. Soon, the only thing he was suffering from was cabin fever. He bounced on his toes and pulled at Donghyuck’s sleeve.

"Please hyung, can we go out and play? You took Chenle hyung with you yesterday, I wanna go too!” Jisung whined.

Donghyuck looked over at Jaemin, who gave him a nod. Jaemin had been holding Jisung back for the last couple of days, wanting his immune system to fully recover so he wouldn’t just get sick immediately. Yangyang and Lucas had already gone out earlier, and Jisung had been asleep when they left. Now, Mark, Donghyuck, and Jeno were getting ready to leave, and Jisung wasn’t going to let them leave without him. Renjun brought Jisung a jacket, pulling it tight around him.

“Bring Lele with you and stay out of trouble. I don’t want to hear that one of you got picked up by the cops today,” Renjun said.

He shot a look and Donghyuck and he scoffed, “Oh please, when have I ever gotten arrested?”

Jeno snorted, “Literally last month.”

“And it was your fault!” Donghyuck said.

Jeno stuck his tongue out at him before he kissed Renjun on the cheek, and then Jaemin, who had come to hug Jisung goodbye. Chenle ran to their side, pulling his jacket on as he went.

“Hyungs, are you sure you don’t want to come?” he asked.

Renjun shook his head, “Nah. Jaemin and I are gonna stay and clean up the factory. We want it to look nice when Kunhang ge and Dejun ge come back from date night. Have fun though.”

Mark began to herd them all out, “All right boys, let’s go.”

They waved goodbye and left the factory. As soon as they were out, Jisung and Chenle ran down the sidewalk, hands clasped together. They were laughing and giggling as they ran, just how Donghyuck had imagined it. They were running and playing tag, and it made Donghyuck’s heart warm.

“Boys, not too far!” Jeno called out.

Jisung and Chenle turned and ran back to Jeno, hanging off his arms. Mark slung an arm around Donghyuck’s shoulder and Donghyuck leaned into him.

“They’re cute, right?” Mark asked.

“Yeah. You think they’ll stay?” Donghyuck asked.

Mark snorted, “Bold of you to assume that Jaemin would ever let them go back to that alley.”

Donghyuck smiled, “Yeah. They’re good kids. I’m sure they’ll bring a lot more excitement to our lives.”

“As if we need any more.”

Donghyuck laughed and then a body knocked into him. Yangyang and Lucas were sprinting in front of them, spray paint cans clutched in their hands. He could hear a distant siren.

“Run! Graffiti! Cops! Run!” Yangyang yelled.

Donghyuck groaned but broke into a run. The others followed, Jisung and Chenle’s laughs trailing behind him.


End file.
